About Jacqueline

Born and raised on the West Coast in small rural towns, I spent my formative years in Northern California, which truly explains a lot about me. I crave a comfortable existence grounded in nature and fueled by good food and deep human connection. I take my relationship with my kids seriously and I am grateful to have the opportunity and flexibility to explore, play, and work side by side with them. My husband and I met when we were fifteen and we've now shared over half our lives together.

We are a project-based homeschooling family and nature is our outdoor classroom. Our homeschool is an extension of my mothering and has been an education for me as much as for the boys. It’s a lesson in our relationships, how to pursue meaningful work, how to take life as it comes, how to live as we go while giving ourselves space to make mistakes and to keep trying as we answer our own questions and follow the lead of our hearts. When the days grow long, when I need to refuel, I seek out nature to reconnect with my boys and with myself. We like to spend part of every day out of doors.

Inspired by a city we love, Andy and I are raising two wild sons and now our little daughter in the heart of Virginia, and pursuing together a life of inquiry, creativity, and adventure. We are in the process of building our forever home, a modern nature-inspired dwelling nestled in the hillside by the James River.

From pregnancy and birthing choices, to parenting decisions and education options, work/life integration, and self care, the value placed today on modern mothering is tremendous. 

I became pregnant after a two year healing from Grave’s Disease and, having learned to navigate the health care system in my early twenties, I was empowered to be a better advocate for myself and for my baby. Roscoe was born at home in 2009 and I became aware of the ways in which our culture not only demands from us as mothers, but also demands from our children. It misses the mark for modern families, failing to support the full integration of the many facets of our lives.

My relationship with my new son motivated me to demand more from life; more from my work, more from my intimate connections, more for myself. Motherhood changed me for the better and through it I have grown to listen to my boldheart and reconnect with my deepest desires as a woman, mother, and human being.

In 2011 I gave birth to Merritt, born seven weeks early, and before we knew it we had two babies under two and life felt saturated for a long time. Eventually I worked up my courage to try for a third child and in March 2016 I met my daughter Winslet 14 weeks early after a very difficult pregnancy.

My BoldHeart grows with each adventure life throws our way. 

Over the years I have struggled with the ways in which my deep sense of purpose as a mother and our resulting family choices have limited my capacity for pursuit of other important aspects of my person. I’m learning to put a priority on taking care of myself in the context of these very demanding and fulfilling relationships, and I continue to take stock of what is working and what I can improve. I’m embracing this life we’re cultivating together and using my writing to develop and extend my voice to connect my experience to yours and yours to mine.

I’m so glad you’re here!

I would love to hear from you, leave a comment or shoot me a message at boldheartmama@gmail.com.

Oh, and a few more things about Jacqueline:

Jacqueline is trained in the health sciences of biomedical engineering and public health epidemiology. In 2012 she left a Washington, DC. based career in public health policy to launch MamaBorn, a birth services concept serving the greater Richmond community.

In her role as childbirth educator and professional birth doula, she facilitated birth culture transformation and offered support services to women and their partners through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She empowered her client families with informed choice and confidence to trust the natural process of birth.

Currently, Jacqueline is a freelance and creative nonfiction writer and blogger on niche topics related to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, work/life integration, homeschool, and self care.